Distribution of Information on Meningococcal Disease
The 2005 Washington State legislature enacted
a new law to educate parents and students about the dangers of
Meningitis for children, and to further inform parents about the
availability of vaccines to prevent the occurrence of this deadly
disease. This information is being provided to you as a result
of that legislation. Please note sources for additional information
at the end of this article.
Students are required
to receive a series of immunizations before attending public
school. However, under
current law, students are not required to get immunizations for
meningococcal meningitis. Health care providers--school nurses--
are required to report occurrences of meningococcal meningitis
to the local heath department. During the 2005 legislative session,
they passed a new law requiring school districts to provide information
to parents regarding the disease and its vaccine at the beginning
of every school year.
Beginning Sept. 2005,
districts are required to distribute information to parents and
guardians of students
in the sixth grade and above--EVERY YEAR. Information required
to be distributed includes, meningococcal causes and symptoms,
how meningococcal disease is spread, the availability of a
vaccine and the places where parents and guardians may obtain
additional
information. The dept. of health will include meningococal
educational resources in the annual immunization program mailing
to schools.
An information sheet on What you need to Know about Meningococcal
Vaccines is available by visiting http://www.doh.wa.gov/cfh/Immunize/meningococcal.htm and
then clicking on Meningococcal-Vaccine Information Statement
(Revised 4/4/05).
Below are other website addresses with additional information:
http://www.cdc.gov/nip/publications/vis/vis-mening.pdf
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/meningococcal_g.htm
http://www.chop.edu/vaccine/images/vec_mening_tear.pdf (two-sided
flyer)
http://www.nmaus.org/programs/pta/index.htm